Imagine you're a woman in labor. Your environment is relatively stress-free, you have everything needed for a normal delivery, and friends and family of your choosing are there offering support. And best of all, your caregiver puts you in the foreground, letting your body do what it’s made to do. You feel what your body is going through and how to best accommodate it. She lets you be in control of the situation. This is what it’s like to birth with a midwife. Feeling like you have control over your birth can greatly influence the whole birthing experience.
The differences between giving birth in a hospital and giving birth at home, or at a birthing center, are great. But the main difference I see is the lack of control I feel a woman has in a hospital setting. I find it interesting that celebrities, especially, are sacrificing this control for the sheer convenience of hospital births and elective c-sections. That they, who have already sacrificed a great amount, and sometimes all, of their autonomy, would allow someone else have control over their intentions.
There have been several celebrities that have reportedly planned their c-sections around their Hollywood schedule and also because they don’t want to go through the terrible pains of childbirth. Yes, childbirth is painful. I don’t think anybody would dispute this. But somehow they see a planned c-section as the better option? A c-section is major abdominal surgery that takes weeks to fully recover from.
So, if celebrities are willing to sacrifice their autonomy for their career, should we really be so shocked that they’re handing it over to their surgeons?
Friday, April 24, 2009
Best Laid Plans
Carrying a child in her womb and giving birth is said to be one of the most amazing things a woman will every experience. Women who are pregnant have some idea (if not a full-fledged birth plan) of how they would like the birthing process to progress. It is when authoritative figures, such as obstetricians, step in and begin executing their own idea of a birth plan that women begin to lose sight of their well thought out expectations.
Giving birth is something that a woman will never forget. Where they were when their water broke, the ride to the hospital, the name of their doctor, the number of visitors, every detail of their newborn, and, of course, how they felt throughout the entire event.
Her request for a water birth being fulfilled or getting the epidural she hadn’t really intended on having, which left her to the confines of the hospital bed, giving birth in the most unnatural position for humans; lying on her back. They remember just as much about the bad as they do the good. Feeling in the moment that she has no control over her intentions is a feeling that she will carry with her for as long as she lives.
To me the feeling of being in control of the birthing process can be stripped away once the obstetrician enters the picture. If he feels like the woman isn't dilating quickly enough he orders Pitocin, or some variation of this contraction inducing hormone. If she complains about the intense pain caused by the artificial hormones, an epidural is ordered.
Now, she does still have the option not to have an epidural, but it’s much harder when you are in excruciating pain. And from what I’ve been told by friends, Pitocin makes it much worse than if you give birth without it.
The epidural can cause the contractions to slow down, so more Pitocin is administered. This back and forth with the drugs will begin to put the baby under unnecessary stress, causing the fetal heart rate to drop. Once this happens, the doctor orders an emergency c-section to save the baby. Does anyone else see the irony in this?
So, not only could this emergency c-section have been avoided, but now the mother is left with a birth plan that she didn’t get to use. At some point, she was no longer in control of her intentions. Part of her autonomy had been taken from her.
Giving birth is something that a woman will never forget. Where they were when their water broke, the ride to the hospital, the name of their doctor, the number of visitors, every detail of their newborn, and, of course, how they felt throughout the entire event.
Her request for a water birth being fulfilled or getting the epidural she hadn’t really intended on having, which left her to the confines of the hospital bed, giving birth in the most unnatural position for humans; lying on her back. They remember just as much about the bad as they do the good. Feeling in the moment that she has no control over her intentions is a feeling that she will carry with her for as long as she lives.
To me the feeling of being in control of the birthing process can be stripped away once the obstetrician enters the picture. If he feels like the woman isn't dilating quickly enough he orders Pitocin, or some variation of this contraction inducing hormone. If she complains about the intense pain caused by the artificial hormones, an epidural is ordered.
Now, she does still have the option not to have an epidural, but it’s much harder when you are in excruciating pain. And from what I’ve been told by friends, Pitocin makes it much worse than if you give birth without it.
The epidural can cause the contractions to slow down, so more Pitocin is administered. This back and forth with the drugs will begin to put the baby under unnecessary stress, causing the fetal heart rate to drop. Once this happens, the doctor orders an emergency c-section to save the baby. Does anyone else see the irony in this?
So, not only could this emergency c-section have been avoided, but now the mother is left with a birth plan that she didn’t get to use. At some point, she was no longer in control of her intentions. Part of her autonomy had been taken from her.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
The Reality of Reality TV
There are thousands of people dying to have their 15 minutes of fame, though they are most certainly hoping for more than 15 minutes. People will do just about anything to get their name out there.
Take for example, reality TV cast members. These people will do anything just to stay on the show - they'll place themselves in danger, as well as subject themselves to emotional trauma, and act like complete fools, all in the name of fame.
It makes you wonder whether or not the people you see on TV act like this in real life or if they're just doing it to stay on the show? Because if they are playing a role in order to stay on the show and become a bigger star, which works well for the producers who just want higher ratings, then they have already begun relinquishing their autonomy. At that point the producers understand that they can coax these people into more outrageous behaviors because it will both increase the ratings of the show and give the individual more air time. It makes it seem like everyone gets what they want because the actors feel like their becoming bigger stars due to the increased air time and the producers are thrilled with the ratings. In the end, most of these actors return to everyday life and fade into obscurity, left with only vague memories of their embarrassing TV behavior.
Now, it's true that not all reality TV stars fall to the wayside, never to be seen or heard from again. Some do become fairly well known, but at what cost? Omarosa, from NBC's hit show The Apprentice, is considered a reality TV star. Most would agree, however, that she’s not known for her business savvy but more for acting like a complete psychopath while on the show. I wonder if she has any regrets?
All in all it comes down to this: who has control over your intentions? An actor may intend to become famous, but who controls the path to this destination? Agents, producers, casting directors, just to name a few. Actors are told what to say and how to say it, what to wear, and who to surround themselves with. They appear to have overall good intentions – to make their client famous and make themselves rich. However, without control over their intentions, do they still feel like their own?
Take for example, reality TV cast members. These people will do anything just to stay on the show - they'll place themselves in danger, as well as subject themselves to emotional trauma, and act like complete fools, all in the name of fame.
It makes you wonder whether or not the people you see on TV act like this in real life or if they're just doing it to stay on the show? Because if they are playing a role in order to stay on the show and become a bigger star, which works well for the producers who just want higher ratings, then they have already begun relinquishing their autonomy. At that point the producers understand that they can coax these people into more outrageous behaviors because it will both increase the ratings of the show and give the individual more air time. It makes it seem like everyone gets what they want because the actors feel like their becoming bigger stars due to the increased air time and the producers are thrilled with the ratings. In the end, most of these actors return to everyday life and fade into obscurity, left with only vague memories of their embarrassing TV behavior.
Now, it's true that not all reality TV stars fall to the wayside, never to be seen or heard from again. Some do become fairly well known, but at what cost? Omarosa, from NBC's hit show The Apprentice, is considered a reality TV star. Most would agree, however, that she’s not known for her business savvy but more for acting like a complete psychopath while on the show. I wonder if she has any regrets?
All in all it comes down to this: who has control over your intentions? An actor may intend to become famous, but who controls the path to this destination? Agents, producers, casting directors, just to name a few. Actors are told what to say and how to say it, what to wear, and who to surround themselves with. They appear to have overall good intentions – to make their client famous and make themselves rich. However, without control over their intentions, do they still feel like their own?
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